Undertaker&#39;s transfer device



UNDERTAKER S TRANSFER DEVICE Filed Feb. 14, 1938 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to an undertakers transfer device and has for the primary object the provision of a device of this character which provides a casein which a corpse may be easily transferred from one place to another with privacy and sanitation and may be employed at any time desired as a device on which the corpse may rest for embalming, washing and other care and is of such a construction that it may be readily cleansed and will be durable, easy to handle and economical to manufacture thereby permitting the sale thereof to be at a low cost.

With these and other objects in view, this invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view showing the base of the device.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the device including the base and the cover.

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevation showing one of the fasteners employed for detachably securing the cover on the base.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on line 66 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a detail view, partly in section, showing one of the strap hangers.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral I indicates a fiat elongated rigid base of a selected length and width and preferably having rounded ends, as shown in Figure 1. A rigid solid wall cover is indicated by the character 2, which, when associated with the base, provides a complete closure for a corpse resting on the base and an adjustable head rest 3 is provided on the base for the corpse and preferably has a serrated or roughened face 4 to prevent the head of the corpse from slipping on the rest. The rest is hinged on the base, as shown at 5, and is provided with a leg 6 pivoted thereto, as shown at 1, and having its free end engageable with a toothed plate 8 secured on the base. The toothed plate and leg 6 permit adjustment of the head rest at various inclinations or to permit the head rest to rest flatly on the base when desired.

The coverand base are preferably constructed of a light metal and the cover is of the shape shown in the drawing with the ends thereof equipped with handles 9 to facilitate the lifting of the cover. The handles 9 are so arranged that when gripped by persons the cover will be balanced between said persons.

The base is provided adjacent the edges thereof with an upstanding beading l0 and the cover when applied on the base rests on the latter outwardly of said beads and is equipped with packing strips l l to contact said beads to effectively seal the cover and the base. together. The base adjacent one end is equipped with a drain opening [2 closed by a removable plug l3. The under face of the base has ribs or runners l4 extending longitudinally of said base and preferably of a cushion material such as .rubber to facilitate the sliding of the device into and out of an undertakers vehicle or onto and off of an embalming table or some other support. To facilitate the lifting of the base with the corpse thereon handles l5 are provided at the ends of the base and the grips of said handles are preferably disposed in a plane above the base and outwardly of the cover so as to not interfere with the sliding of the base on a support or the application and removal of the cover from the base.

The opposite sides of the cover are provided with indentations I6 in which are mounted fasteners I! to engage with keepers l8 on the base. The fasteners I l are preferably of the loop or ring type engageable with the keepers and cam actuated so that the cover may be tightly drawn onto the base by the fasteners with the packing strips tightly against the beads to prevent any waste from a corpse from escaping from the device. The fasteners I! are easily operated to free the cover from the base.

Loop type keepers l9 are secured on the beading I0 of the base preferably at the opposite sides of the latter to which are detachably connected hanger straps 26. The strap portions of the hanger straps are preferably water proofed. The straps 20 are employed for securing on the base of the device a corpse.

A device of the character described and shown in the drawing will permit the transfer of a corpse to be easily carried out in a sanitary manner and with comparative ease on the part of the operators. Further, the device may be employed solely as a rest for a corpse during undertakers operations on the corpse. The cover being easily removed from the base leaves the corpse well exposed so that the operators are unhindered in carrying out their operations thereon and further any draining of the corpse may be carried off from the base by the opening of the drain opening through the removal of the plug.

What is claimed is:

An undertakers device comprising a base providing a rest for a corpse, an adjustable head rest on said base for the corpse, handles secured on the ends of the base and including grips arranged in a plane above and outwardly of the base, a cover for said base, fastening means between the cover and the base, handles at the ends of the cover, a beading on the base arranged inwardly of the edges thereof, packing strips carried by the cover to engage the beading, loop-type keepers connected with said beading at opposite sides of the base, and hanger straps detachably connected to said keepers.

RUSSELL HARVEY HILLS. 

